Transaction

Following a hidden passage behind the wine cabinet, The Cripple crept forward, making not a sound. He bypassed large stacks of rum and spirits barrels, climbing over two large crates filled with smuggled tobacco and white sugar. At the end of the passage was a stone wall.

In the pitch-black passage, only a sliver of light shone from the stone wall. The Cripple pressed himself against the wall, bringing his eyes close to the sliver of light to peer out. The other side of the stone wall was a small, comfortably furnished room. The light from over a dozen white candles illuminated the small space. A circle of large chairs covered in animal hides surrounded the room. Lin Qi was seated in one of the chairs, guzzling wine with a peculiar smile that made one want to punch him.

The Cripple's pupils contracted to the size of pinpricks. He recognized the bronze wine bottle in Lin Qi's hand. It was one of the few bottles of rum left from a hundred years ago in the entire The Cripple's Shop. A hundred-year-old vintage, its value was immeasurable by money; it existed more as a legend of The Cripple's Shop.

"That damned brat, how did he find this treasure?" The Cripple trembled with anger, but his gaze swept over Lin Qi and landed on Enzo, standing nearby like a sharp sword. The Cripple couldn't help but grin and shake his head helplessly.

He pressed a spot on the stone wall, and a section of it slid open silently. The Cripple walked out with a brilliant smile.

"Heh, heh, what good things has my dearest little friend brought me?" The Cripple rubbed his hands together vigorously. He deliberately avoided looking at Lin Qi, who was sitting and drinking, his greedy eyes fixed on the cloth-wrapped bundle under Enzo's arm. He knew Lin Qi's personality well; without enough benefit, don't expect him to step foot into The Cripple's Shop. This was a young man, yet more cunning than any old timer in the underworld!

'A brat with boundless potential, his father truly has an extraordinary child,' The Cripple mused inwardly.

Seeing The Cripple enter, Lin Qi vigorously shook the wine bottle, draining the last drop into his mouth. He let out a satisfied sigh of alcohol-scented breath and casually tossed the bottle onto the floor, making a loud noise that pained The Cripple. With a contented burp, Lin Qi clapped his hands and called out with a smile, "Dear Uncle The Cripple, every time I see you, I feel like I see piles of golden Ooh-ooh-call and silver Chirp-chirp-call. You'll give me a satisfactory price, won't you?"

The Cripple glared at the bronze wine bottle rolling on the floor before slowly pulling a gold coin and a silver coin from his belt.

The gold coins currently used in The Seventh Empire had Louis XIII's profile on the front and a proud Rooster on the back. Everyone involved in the underworld had a tacit understanding and called the gold coins 'Ooh-ooh-call'. As for the empire's newly minted silver coins, they had a soaring Lark on the back, hence their nickname, 'Chirp-chirp-call'.

Putting on an air of indifference, The Cripple tossed the gold and silver coins onto the small square table in the room and laughed, tilting his head back. "Uncle The Cripple has many cute little roosters and Larks. As long as my dear friend can produce something that interests me, the price is not an issue."

Lin Qi burped, and Enzo silently stepped forward, placing the cloth-wrapped bundle heavily on the square table. The Cripple nimbly untied the bundle, revealing six Stabbing Swords coated in anti-rust oil. The hilts were just right for a palm's grip, and the blades were four feet long. The slender blades bore uniform wave and water patterns, clearly indicating excellent steel quality. The tips of the blades shimmered with a dazzling blue-green, emanating a sharp, chilling aura that made one afraid to look directly.

"Yo, yo, what fine little treasures!" The Cripple's eyes lit up. He agilely pounced onto the square table, his fingers lightly caressing the six Stabbing Swords, like a passionate wanderer stroking the body of a peerless beauty. His fingertips trembled subtly as he meticulously traced every wave and water pattern on the blades. The steel was dense and resilient, truly first-class swords.

Casually grabbing one Stabbing Sword, The Cripple flicked his wrist, and the candlelight in the room dimmed collectively. A hissing sound, like a venomous snake striking, echoed through the air. Several streaks of cold light, too fast for the eye to discern, tore through the air and struck a standing Armor in the corner of the room.

This set of Armor was primarily made of thick cowhide, with palm-sized steel plates inlaid at crucial points. Under The Cripple's sword strike, the cowhide was torn like paper. The steel plates, a finger thick at the chest and underarms, groaned sharply as they were pierced by the sword tip.

The candlelight flickered again as The Cripple withdrew the Stabbing Sword and examined it closely. There were only a few friction marks on the blade, finer than a strand of hair, and the blade was essentially undamaged. He couldn't help but exclaim in amazement. This set of Armor, placed in the corner as decoration, was standard issue Armor he had spent a great deal of money to acquire from the imperial army's logistics warehouse. It was exquisite armor that only mid-level officers could wear.

Before this Stabbing Sword, this Armor suitable for mid-level officers was like paper, proving the piercing power of this Stabbing Sword.

Seeing the result of The Cripple's sword test, Lin Qi roared with laughter. He also rubbed his hands excitedly, countless gold and silver coins dancing before his eyes. He said to Enzo with a laugh, "I told you, I told you! This batch of goods will definitely satisfy Uncle The Cripple, right, Uncle The Cripple? We worked hard to get these from the Military Academy's armory!"

The Cripple let out a cold snort. He carefully placed the Stabbing Sword on the table, squinted at the six Stabbing Swords, and fell silent.

Lin Qi raised an eyebrow, his hands disappearing into his sleeves simultaneously. Enzo silently placed his hand on his waist, where a hidden pocket contained a long sword identical to the Stabbing Swords on the table. Enzo gauged the distance between himself and The Cripple. With one sword strike, he was ninety percent sure he could pierce The Cripple's throat.

The candlelight in the room trembled slightly. Something moved within the room, and the resulting gust of wind disturbed the flames.

The hairs on the back of The Cripple's neck suddenly stood on end. Like a frog targeted by a venomous snake, goosebumps erupted all over his body.

After a moment of contemplation, The Cripple sneered and shook his head. "The Military Academy's armory would have such fine weapons? Damn it, weapons that can pierce a finger-thick homogeneous steel plate, these Stabbing Swords are treasures. Many people are waiting to pay handsomely for them. But I want to hear the truth, where did you get them from?"

Enzo's hand held the sword hilt steadily, his stern, sharp gaze locked onto The Cripple's throat.

Lin Qi nonchalantly crossed his legs and chuckled, "Does their origin matter? They won't be staying with you anyway!"

The Cripple frowned. He pondered for a moment, then suddenly chuckled and shook his head.

Putting on a show of generosity, he pulled out a greasy coin purse and grabbed a handful of gold coins, tossing them onto the square table.

Lin Qi's eyes suddenly turned golden. He cheered and lunged forward.